Excited about the idea of ​​studying computer science at university, Ellen Guthrie eagerly approached her high school computer science teacher with the prospect, but only received the following response:

“Well, that’s not really something girls do.”

At that moment, Guthrie’s career took a completely different direction. However, her passion for computer science remained for years to come.

“It wasn’t until more than a decade later, when I realized I wanted to work in technology, that I realized it was absolutely for women,” Guthrie said.

Now as Senior Data Analyst at Applicableshe has ample room to advance her career in technology and build strong relationships with other women who will help her achieve even greater success. But more importantly, Guthrie shared that she has room to be who she truly is: a woman with many diverse talents, passions, and priorities.

“My main professional goal is to keep track of my multifaceted, kaleidoscopic life and to find balance by exploring everything that gives me joy or arouses my curiosity,” she says.

Whether she’s looking to build her skills in data analytics or take time off to explore new cities, Guthrie knows Aceable has the support and resources she needs to do just that. Read on to learn more about her experience as a woman in tech and how Aceable has enabled her to live her life to the fullest.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in the technology industry – and which ones have you overcome?

As a woman in tech, I’ve faced challenges like figuring out how to manage my ego, realizing that I make significantly less than my male colleagues, and navigating life as a working mom. But I’ve also experienced more camaraderie and recognition than ever before.

I co-founded an employee resource group for women at a previous job and to this day, I value the relationships I built with other women in the group. We support each other professionally, understand frustrations, and celebrate successes. It’s a wonderful sisterhood that comes from facing similar challenges, sharing passions, and going through similar experiences.

What are your career goals and how has Aceable enabled you to pursue them?

I aspire to be someone who is not defined solely by my career, and Aceable allows me to be a whole person, not just someone who works and slogs all the time. While I naturally have ambitions to become the most respected data analyst at any company I work for, I also identify as a writer, artist, nature lover, world traveler, gardener, baker, new mother, and a plethora of other nouns and adjectives.

“Aceable allows me to be a whole person, not just someone who works and slogs all the time.”

I can see myself exploring other career paths in the future, such as design, copywriting, data science, AI engineering, or maybe something I haven’t even considered yet. Our company value of “Aiming for Growth” is embodied by an education scholarship available to employees seeking an education that will broaden their professional horizons. Each full-time employee receives $600 per calendar year to pursue their interests – a huge perk, in my opinion.

How does Aceable celebrate and empower women?

I became a mom this year, so it would be remiss not to mention Aceable’s generous parental leave policy: 10 weeks off for all new parents, 100% paid, and an additional six weeks, also 100% paid, for parents who are giving birth. Being able to recover from labor and delivery and spend quality time with my baby was essential to my physical and mental health. There was no loss of work during parental leave. Everyone knew to leave me alone and let me fully bond with my baby and develop new routines and expectations with my family. Now that I’m a mom myself, I’ve also been invited to the Club Parents Slack channel, where parents can share successes and challenges and show support and community.

Aceable also celebrates International Women’s Day every March. Our employee resource group Embrace published reflections on the holiday in its monthly newsletter this year from the perspective of one of my colleagues on the finance team. She spoke about her feelings of isolation and otherness in the traditionally male-dominated finance field and the importance of diversity and inclusivity for high-performing teams.